Math is not God: Do not fear, do not worship

Q: Do you use the golden ratio? If so, has your work been more successful?

A: I use this and many other ratios. Using math has had a positive effect on my work. But sometimes I don’t use math.

“What I always liked about math is, there’s no bullshit.” — Sumner Stone

I am not great at math, but I use it often. It makes my work look better. I wrote about some of the math designers routinely confront. I work on a calculator with Scott Kellum. I came up with formula for fluid line-height called Molten Leading. Math may seem complicated, but it simplifies the infinite selection of numbers available to use, clarifies decisions about layout, and enables behaviors that are not otherwise possible.

Consider the task of deciding on a font-size for your website’s headings. Sure, you could eyeball it. Sure, you could pick some standard numbers like 2em, or 1.5em, or 24px and see if any of those look good. These ways of sizing type are not wrong, but they are idiosyncratic and unsystematic.

But Tim, you might say, what if I use standard numbers systematically? Great! But if you use these same numbers for every project, that’s not so great. Consider alternate sets of numbers. (This is where modular scales help.) And relax — not everything must be a system. I agree, and I have a thousand hacked-together side projects to prove it. I extoll systematic measurement not because it applies to every situation, but because it is useful in many situations.

But Tim, you might say, my colleagues think my mathematic calculations are idiosyncratic. Okay. If you’re talking about designer colleagues, you’re probably being too rigid about math — and they’re probably not paying enough attention to math. If you’re talking about developer colleagues, you are lying. Developers love when designers employ math. If you’re talking about business colleagues, stop sharing these details with them.

Although we live in a polarizing world, I think you, dear design student, are a reasonable person. There is no formula for certain success. There is no “perfect” that a calculator can help you achieve. There is no “best” ratio. Math is no replacement for a designer’s eye. But! Neither is a designer’s eye a replacement for math. We can make both calculated decisions and spontaneous ones.

Fear of math makes our design decisions bland and unruly. Mathematic worship makes us self-righteous and stiff. Don’t fear or worship math, but don’t ignore it either. Realize that math is a powerful aid for clarity and consistency in your design work. And don’t worry if it seems hard. The robots are really good at math. We can make use of that. 📚

Tim Brown is a designer, writer, speaker, and toolmaker, with a focus on typography. He produces Typekit Practice, a place where novices and experts alike can hone their typographic skills.